Process for the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

A process for depolymerizing a polyester to form a terephthalate, the processing comprising:

• (i) providing a feedstock comprising the polyester;
• ii) mixing the feedstock with a first fraction of an alcohol to form a mixture;
• and
• (iii) subsequent to (ii), mixing a second fraction of the alcohol and a methoxide with the mixture from (ii) to maintain a methoxide concentration in the resulting mixture while forming the terephthalate, the methoxide concentration comprising a sub-stoichiometric amount of methoxide;
• wherein the mixing in (ii) is performed at a temperature from about 50° C. to about 100° C., and wherein the mixing in (iii) is performed at a temperature from about 50° C. to about 100° C.